Colombia: Emergency aid for displaced families in Cauca

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Colombia: Emergency aid for displaced families in Cauca, 1 September 2011, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/4e71980e2.html [accessed 31 March 2015]

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On 26 August the lnternational Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) distributed emergency aid to over 1,000 displaced people in Playa Rica, in the municipality of El Tambo (Cauca Department).

The beneficiaries, who had arrived in the area in recent weeks from four different villages, had fled their homes owing to the fighting.

The aid consisted of food, kitchen utensils, mattresses, blankets, sheets and hygiene items intended to improve the living conditions of the displaced people. Given the difficulty of accessing the area, the aid had to be brought in by various means, including mule back.

"The situation of these families is critical," said Benno Kocher, head of the ICRC's office in Cali. "In addition to facing food shortages and overcrowding, they are suffering from viral illnesses and gastrointestinal infections, which are especially dangerous for children and pregnant women."

The ICRC has so far evacuated six people, including four pregnant women, to the nearest hospital. It has also provided them with financial aid to pay for the medical care they need.

In order to further improve living conditions for these people, the ICRC has provided them with tarpaulins, carried out work on existing sanitary facilities, and supplied disinfectant and water-treatment products that help prevent the spread of disease.

In its capacity as a neutral, impartial and independent humanitarian organization, the ICRC will continue to closely monitor the situation in this area of Cauca in order to provide the best possible response to the population's essential needs. It will also remind the parties to the armed conflict, through confidential dialogue, of their obligation to spare the civilian population.